Digital Commons of Moss Landing Marine Laboratories

Managing our Digital Assets

You are here

Search results

Large particle fluxes and the vertical transport of living carbon in the upper 1500 m of the northeast Pacific Ocean,

Description

The distribution, production, and flux of organic carbon were measured at a station in the eastern North Pacific Ocean, off Point Sur, California. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and total adenine nucleotide (AT) concentrations were measured to estimate the contribution of biomass (living) carbon to the total particulate organic pools. Two separate classes of particulate materials were considered: (1) 'suspended' or the relatively abundant, low density, fine-grained particles commonly collected in standard water bottles and (2) sediment trap particles, which represent the larger, relatively rare particles not usually sampled (in a statistical sense) when using standard water bottle collections and which require the use of in situ particle traps. The study indicates that living organisms associated with the sedimenting particles can contribute more than 100 times the biomass carbon normally associated with the 'suspended' fraction. The significance of the downward vertical flux of viable organisms associated with large particles may require that we alter our present concepts of the production and cycling of carbon in the open ocean., Cited By (since 1996):9, ,